Collapsible or falling target.



' G. B. ELLIOTT.

OOLLAPSIBLE 0B. FALLING TARGET. APPLICATION FILED 111112.29, 1911.

1 ,025 ,944- 1 Patented May, 7, 1912.

m mun llllllllllll u ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. ELLIOTT, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

COLLAPSIBLE OR FALLING TARGET.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES B. ELLIOTT, of the United States Army, have invented a new and useful Collapsible or Falling Target, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to targets, and more particularly to that class thereof known as collapsible or falling targets in which the target is normally held in an upright position but knocked over by the impact of the bullet thereby indicating when the marksman has struck the target.

The object of my invention is-to provide a target of this class which will be thoroughly stable at all times, even during a high wind, and which will be quickly and easily dropped the moment the said target has suflicient momentum imparted thereto by the impact of the bullet.

Another object of my invention is to provide a target of this class which is not likely to be blown over either forwardly or rearwardly, and it is also an object of the invention to provide a target which can be easily arranged in a shallow trench or trough thereby protecting the supporting and tripping mechanism.

With these objects in view, and also with certain other objects as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure l is a front view of a target constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of connecting the target to the base, and, Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the lever or striker support.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a target A, which is preferably shaped to represent the upper portion of a human body in a leaning position, but it will of course be understood that the target can be any shape desired and can be made of wood or metal, and

if made of wood can be of single thickness or a plurality of layers as desired. This target A, has two parallel batten strips A secured upon the rear thereof which strips project a short distance below the bottom edge of the target and these lower ends are preferably reinforced or thickened in order to provide a suitable bearing for the connecting means between the target and base.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 29, 1911.

Patented May '7', 1912. Serial No. 617,569.

The base is preferably made of tube or rod lron B, bent as shown, the bowed portion of the base being at the rear while the forward ends project a short distance in advance of the target as most clearly shown in Fig. 2, and this length of base prevents the target being blown over either forwardly or backwardly.

Adjacent the forward end of the base are the uprights C, which may be of tube or rod metal, the same as the base proper and which are secured to the side members of the base in any suitable manner, said uprights having oppositely disposed laterally projecting pivot or trunnion portions C, which rest in the horizontal grooves A of the depending ends of the strips A, and are maintained in this connection by means of eye-bolts D, which pass through the strips, the pivot or trunnions resting in the eye of the bolts, and i said bolts being secured by means of winged nuts D, this arrangement permitting a quick and easy method of connecting and disconnecting the base and target.

The uprights C, are connected by means of a spring bar E, said bar being located a short distance above the side members of the base and adapted to be engaged upon its forward side by a spring finger or bar F, rigidly attached at its upper end to the rear face of the target at the lower edge, said spring finger contacting with the spring bar E, when the target A, is turned up on its pivots to an upright position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and in order to maintain the target in this upright position I employ a locking hook member Gr, pivoted at G, at the rear center of the base, the forward hook G being adapted to engage the forward side of the spring finger above the spring bar, and by moving this hook member Gr slightly upward, it is obvious that a tension wil be exerted upon the spring finger F, causing it to bind tightly against the spring bar E, and thereby providing a rigid supporting connection between the base and target, and this connection will maintain the target in an upright position under all normal conditions, and owing to the relative position of the target to the base all danger of said target blowing over either forwardly or rearwardly, is removed.

Now in order to disengage the hook member G, from the depending finger F, when the target is struck, I employ a lever or striker H, pivoted at H, and enlarged at its free end H in order to increase the efliciency of the said striker, said striker being held in a horizontal position when the target is set, by a horizontal pin or support I, carried by a plate I, fastened to the rear face of the target and in order to insure accuracy in operation, I preferably reduce and slightly bevel the end of the supporting pin as most clearly shown at I in Fig. 5, but these features of construction it will of course be understood can be regulated or varied according to conditions as they may exist. After the hook has been brought into engagement with the depending spring finger, the lever or striker is arranged upon the supporting pin and will be held there during all normal conditions, and the target may have a slight movement back or forth without disturbing this striker, but if the target should be struck by a bullet, the impact will produce a jar or sufiicient movement in the target to disengage the striker from its support, and the end being weighted will immediately drop, and being pivoted in line with the spring finger it will swing across the face of said finger and in so doing will contact with the hook G, knocking it out of engagement with the depending finger F, and the moment the hook G, is disengaged the spring action of the bar E, and finger F, will serve to throw the target rearwardly upon its trunnions as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The target is normally arranged in a shallow trench or ditch for the purpose of protecting the base and tripping devices, and these parts have been constructed and arranged with the object of occupying as little space as possible.

When the target is not in use, it can be folded back upon the base and thereby greatly economize in space and also provide a device which can be easily carried from place to place.

It will thus be seen that I provide an eX- ceedingly simple, strong, durable and efii cient target of the type specified, and capable of carrying out all of the objects hereinbefore referred to.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the kind described, a base, a target pivotally connected to said base adjacent the forward end thereof, spring members carried by said base and target respectively, and adapted to engage each other, together with a locking device carried by the base and adapted to hold said spring members in locked engagement, together with a striker carried by the target and adapted to disengage the said locking device, as set forth.

2. In a device of the kind described, a base, a target pivotally connected therewith, a spring bar carried by the base, a spring finger carried by the target and adapted to engage the said bar, a hook carried by the base and adapted to engage the finger, and a striker pivoted to the target, and supported in a horizontal position thereon, said striker being adapted to engage the hook for the purpose of disengaging the same from the finger.

3. In a device of the kind described, a base having uprights provided with trunnions, a target pivotally connected to the said trunnions, a spring bar connecting the uprights, a depending spring finger carried by the target, and adapted to engage the spring bar, a hook pivotally connected to the base and adapted to engage the spring finger, and a striker pivotally connected to the target, a support for normally holding said striker in a horizontal position, said striker being disengaged from said support by the impact of a bullet, said striker being adapted to engage the hook in its descent, thereby disengaging said hook from the spring finger, said finger and bar acting to project the target rearwardly as soon as the locking connection is broken, as specified.

4. A device of the kind described comprising a base, a target pivotally connected therewith, ahorizontal member attached to said base, a depending member carried by said target and adapted to contact with said horizontal member, a locking device carried by said base for holding said horizontal and depending members in contact, and a gravity operated striker carried by said target and adapted to engage said locking device for the purpose of unlocking the same.

CHARLES B. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses CHAs. E. BROOK, PERoY H. Moonn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

